Urinary Urgency and Incontinence

Urinary Urgency & Incontinence

Your Home. Your Safety. Your Choices.

A five-minute read. Three actions to choose from today.

A sudden need to urinate, leaking urine, or repeated nighttime bathroom trips can turn a familiar routine into a hurried one. The National Institute on Aging identifies rushing to the bathroom as a factor that can increase the chance of falling. ^[1]

Urgency means a strong, sudden need to urinate. Incontinence means urine leaks. These symptoms can affect women and men and deserve assessment; equipment can help manage daily life while the cause is addressed. ^[2]

1. Plan around your pattern, rather than rushing

Record bathroom trips, leaks, drinks, and nighttime waking in a bladder diary. A clinician can use it to tailor bathroom timing and treatment. Ask about bladder training or pelvic floor therapy when appropriate; a pelvic floor therapist can help women and men use the right technique. ^[2]

Try this: Ask, “What pattern do you see, and what plan fits my day?” Do not force yourself to hold urine through pain or difficulty emptying.

2. Make nighttime trips easier

Clear and light the route before bedtime. Keep your usual mobility aid accessible and ask for assistance if you need it. Consider whether a bedside commode or urinal would suit your abilities and room layout. These are practical options, not a guarantee against falls. [1,3]

Pause before stepping: If you feel dizzy when getting up, sit back down safely and get help. Urgency is a reason to plan ahead, not to hurry. ^[1]

3. Make toilet access work for you

Look at the whole task: reaching the toilet, turning, managing clothing, sitting, cleaning, and standing. An occupational therapist can help assess your actual routine and whether support or equipment fits your needs. [3; practical application]

Choose easy-to-manage clothing. Discuss securely installed support, toilet seating, or a commode if transfers are difficult. Equipment choice and placement should allow stable transfers and room for your mobility aid. [3; practical application]

For caregivers: Offer help calmly and preserve privacy. Ask, “Would you like help getting things ready?” Include the person in decisions about equipment and assistance.

4. Review medicines and fluid timing

Bring prescription medicines, over-the-counter products, and supplements to a pharmacist or prescriber review. Some medicines can cause dizziness, sleepiness, confusion, blurred vision, or a blood-pressure drop when standing. Ask about any new symptoms. ^[4]

Ask whether your medicine schedule, including any water pill, contributes to nighttime trips. Change doses or timing only with your prescriber. Some bladder medicines also need a side-effect review. [2,4]

Do not simply stop drinking water. Ask your clinician about fluid amounts and timing, particularly if you have a heart or kidney condition or a prescribed fluid limit. Avoid dehydration. ^[2]

5. Treat the bladder problem, not just the leak

Arrange assessment for persistent urgency, leakage, or trouble emptying. Treatments differ by cause; options include tailored bladder training, pelvic floor therapy, medicines, and other procedures. ^[2]

Tell your clinician if you have a weak stream, difficulty starting, frequent small amounts, or a feeling that the bladder is still full. Leakage can occur even when urine is being retained. ^[7]

Equipment: options to discuss

Start with what matters to you: fewer hurried transfers, easier care, comfort, privacy, or managing leaks. Ask a clinician or OT to help match the option to the task. These products are not presented as proven fall-prevention devices.

Bedside commode or urinal

These may shorten or avoid a bathroom journey. A commode still requires a safe transfer; a urinal requires a position you can manage. Plan placement, assistance, cleaning, and emptying so the equipment does not create another obstacle. [3; practical application]

Absorbent underwear, pads, and bed protection

These can help manage leakage while treatment is underway. Choose appropriate fit and absorbency, change soiled products promptly, and discuss skin care with your clinician. They do not treat the underlying cause. ^[2]

Female external urine collection, such as PureWick

An external device collects urine after it leaves the body; it does not drain a bladder that cannot empty. PureWick labeling lists urinary retention as a contraindication. Follow the instructions for the exact model, including placement, replacement, suction, and skin precautions. ^[5]

The current Flex labeling says not to use the device on irritated or broken skin at the placement site. Ask a clinician whether it is appropriate and who will manage placement, skin checks, and cleaning. ^[5]

Male external collection, including condom catheters

CDC advises considering external catheters for selected cooperative men without urinary retention or bladder outlet obstruction when an alternative to an indwelling catheter is appropriate. This does not establish routine nighttime use as a fall-prevention treatment. ^[6]

Ask a trained clinician about sizing, application, skin monitoring, and safe tubing and bag placement. Keep tubing out of walking and transfer routes. Follow the specific product instructions.

Important: An indwelling catheter should not be chosen simply for convenience or routine incontinence management. CDC recommends limiting its use to appropriate indications. External collection also cannot treat urinary retention. [6,7]

Three actions for today

1. Prepare one route. Check the path from bed to toilet, lighting, mobility aid access, and any help you need.

2. Start a simple diary. Note bathroom trips, leaks, nighttime waking, and drinks to share at your appointment.

3. Ask one focused question. “Could my symptoms or medicines be making bathroom trips harder, and which treatment or equipment fits me?”

When to get medical help

Get medical care right away if you cannot urinate or have severe abdominal pain. These can indicate acute urinary retention. Repeated leakage does not rule out a bladder-emptying problem. ^[7]

Arrange clinical assessment for persistent urgency, leakage, difficulty starting, a weak stream, or incomplete emptying. Equipment should support care while the cause is evaluated. [2,7]

References & evidence notes

Guidance checked November 2, 2026. This page combines authoritative patient guidance, clinical recommendations, and clearly identified practical applications. It does not claim that any listed collection device independently reduces falls. Manufacturer information supports device precautions, not comparative effectiveness. General education; individualized assessment may be needed.

1. National Institute on Aging. Falls and Fractures in Older Adults: Causes and Prevention. Read source.

2. NIDDK. Treatments for Bladder Control Problems (Urinary Incontinence). Read source.

3. Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Occupational Therapy. Preventing Falls: Strategies for Staying on Your Feet, especially bladder and bowel issues. Read source.

4. CDC STEADI. Medications Linked to Falls. Read source.

5. BD / PureWick. Frequently Asked Questions and Important Safety Information (model-specific labeling). Read source.

6. CDC. CAUTI Guideline: Summary of Recommendations, sections I.A and I.B. Read source.

7. NIDDK. Symptoms & Causes of Urinary Retention. Read source.